Variety (January 1909)

VARIETY R/ETY A Variety Paper for Variety People. Published #T«ry Satardaj bj THB VARIETY PUBLI8HINO CO. Knickerbocker Tbeatre Bolldlog. 1408 Broadway. N«w York City. Telepbone-I, }-38th 8t. ■{S> Miter end Proprietor. Entered ae eeoond-elaee matter December 22, 1000* e* lee P—t Ojfloe at New York, V. V., under the act of Oongreee of March 8, 1870. CHICAGO ornoB, TM Ohieage Open Heeoe Hook, (Ftaoee, Mala MM). lovdov oma, ill Straad (Cable, "Jeeafreo, leadoa.") JESSK J. nZBIUV, la ebarge. SAM nAVOXSOO QlTZd. 111! Vaa Voes Ave. (Boom lit). W. ALTBBB WILSOV, BepresoatatiTe. DBHVBB OFFICE. Oiyetal Theatre Boilding. HABBT BBAVHOVT, Beareeeatatlve. FABU OFFICE, 6* Bia. Bae Sola* Bidler, BOWABO O. SBBDBEW, Bepresoatatlee. BEBI.TB OPTICS, Voter dea Lladea 11, BIBSEL'S UBBABT. M eenti en agete lloe, $2.80 eo Inch. One page, $126; one-half page, $00; oae-qaerter page, »82.W. Chargee for portraits furnished on application. Special rate by the montb for professional card ander heeding "RepreoeotatlTe Artlets." Adrertlslng copy ahonld be recelred by Thurs- day at noon to Insure publication In current Issue. SVBSCBIPTIOH BATES. Annual $4 Foreign 3 Sli and three months In proportion. ■Ingle copies 10 cents. VARIETY will be mailed to a permanent ad- dress or as per route, as desired. Advertisements forwsrded by mell must be sc- compsnled by remlttsnce, msde psysble to Vsrlety Fublliblag Co. Copyright, 1000, by Vsrlety Publishing Co. Vet XIII. JANUARY 23. No. 7. The dilatoriness in the procedure of is- suing the "agent certificate" by the United Booking Offices suggests that the Executive Board may be perplexed over the advantage or the feasibility of the scheme. We have steadfastly looked upon the "split" arrangement as a private agree- ment between the manager and the agent. That being so, the artist should not be- come involved, and comment pro or con was not alone unnecessary, but it might have been construed as impertinent. How- ever, in view of the delay, the Executive Board may be waiting until they can gauge correctly the sentiment that this move will arouse. We hear also that some of the agents do not attempt to dis- guise that they will make an effort to se- cure what they value their, services at, whether this payment shall come in the form of a "split" commission, or with a bonus in addition from the act for giving it attention. We would like to suggest to the Execu- tive Board of the United the probable effect it will have upon the vaudeville profession at large, from the artist to the manager, and how this feeling, sure to arise, may react upon the offices. The "split" commission form of book- ing acts is not favored, by anyone It will be looked upon by all as a money making scheme for the United. It is im- possible to convince interested persons outside of the executive offices of the United that through carrying what may be termed "dead wood" or assuming other fixed charges the United is not a profit earning institution. Neither does the very laudable plan of placing the agents under a controlling rein appeal while the "split" agreement remains. The intentions of the United in some respects may be of the very best, and for the real good of the artist in the end, but they will never be appreciated while combined with a move- ment which obviously "wili increase the income of the United through its book- ing of acts by one-half the present amount received. As to the "split" scheme itself, the artist is against it; the agent is against it and the manager is against it. It must follow therefore that should it go through, a series of dissensions will follow, lead- ing perhaps to grave abuses and actual dishonesty. If the agent compels the artist to pay a bonus, the artist will try to recover the amount through a slight increase in salary. If the agents should have a com- mon agreement among themselves rela- tive to the specific manner in which thny shall handle acts of a certain grade or price, how will the United benefit—if it knows of this (should it occur) and how can the United free itself from a yoke that it may be walking blindly into. The agent will not submit to having his income cut in half. The United may in- sinuate to certain agents that their busi- ness will be increased sufficiently to make up any deficiency, but the statements will always show the "split," and the good will of the agent is lost even though his weekly check increases. He feels he is being cheated. The practice of the agent owning his own commission has become too deeply ingrained to stamp it out or gloss it over. Better it would be to place agents on a salary. The artist feels that it is a move against him indirectly, and that the United is considering only the additional monies this "split" will bring to it with- out taking into the calculation the extra amount it may cost the artist to secure work. The artist will also figure to him- self that if the United is "splitting" the agents' commission, it is useless to nego- tiate with the United direct, for in that case the United would refer him to a favored agent, thereby gaining 2Vj per cent more of his salary than if he ar- ranged his route with one of the office staff. But the greatest danger to the United, it seems to us as far as the artist is concerned in the "split" scheme, is that it will drive the act away from the United to the agent, and there will be no more bartering for price between the rep- resentatives of the United and the act itself, a proceeding which has seldom failed to save the United managers money. The last reflection is troubling the smaller managers. The manager of the small house can not see how he is pro- •tecteti by- >his mw?- Take-l-fc- qu«*tioas. of "grading" the houses for instance as against the "split." If the United houses are to be graded, and a price set upon acts for certain time, why should those acts apply to any agent at all. There is the price and the ultimatum may go along, "Take it or leave it." But above all, it will leave everyone at loggerheads. We would like to see the United try to gain the good will of the artist. We have often said in these columns that the good will of the actor is an agent's best asset, whether that agent be the United or an individual. The United has gone about its business dealings with the actor in almost every way but that one line; why not try that for a little while T Consider the very "barring" edict printed last week emanating from the United. Did that not operate against the very purpose for which it was given out? "Barring" and matters like the "split" turn artists away from the managers who want them, for a mutual good feeling existing between the managers and the artists, though only in a business way, means money to both; to the manager because he will deal with the artist with- out a feeling of antagonism, and to the artist because he will be informed exactly just where he stands. If a new system is ever thought up for the United Offices, make the first item on it: "Civility to the actor" and the second "Quick action." With reports on all acts in New York and outside sys- tematized, an artist should be enabled to learn in ten days from the date of application for time just what he could or could not have. We know it is the intention of the Executive Board if it decides the "split" be carried out to issue a statement warn- ing the artists not to allow themselves to be imposed upon by any agent, and that the United will request any in- stances of this nature to be reported to it immediately. We print that because it can do no harm anyway, and it is not official, but on the other hand, if the United reverses its opinion about the future benefits of the scheme, an an- nouncement should be also given out im- mediately. In speaking of "civility" to artists, the attaches of the Morris office could also be instructed in this regard. Uniform politeness should be insisted upon in all booking agencies. What account would an agency be if there were no acts to book by it? William Morris may not be aware of it, but there are numberless artists who be- lieve their long acquaintance with him entitles them to a personal interview whenever they call at his offices. Mr. Morris may not realize the callers have no conception of the enormous amount of work he does daily affording him little if any leisure time, but when it is impossible for him to see an artist who knows him intimately enough to address him as "Bill," the clerk taking the message to the visitor might be instruct* ed to give the exact reason in a courteous manner. There have been complaints that ♦he Morri* offce *taff..>99 tapp.-taaJluia? at times to pay much attention to anyone wanting to see Mr. Morris excepting to snap out a curt "Can't see you." That might cost a good comedy act any day, and the "good comedy acts" have never caused a blockade on Broadway yet. While it is on our mind, there's a little thing in itself, but which brings no good returns to the United that could be men- tioned. There are certain small houses booked by people connected with and in- terested in the United for which promises are made to acts, if they will work in these places very cheap. The offers some- times amount to nothing at all in the way of money, the consideration often being either the promise of future time (seldom fulfilled) or that the important managers of the United will come over to the the- atres during the week to see the act. The "important managers" of the United never hear of these acts while they are playing those houses. It's rather a small thing to do and the practice is very well known. There are other and less deceptive ways to procure bills as cheaply as they may be had. Last Sunday night Daisy Harcourt (playing two houses) was delayed in arriving at the American from the Fulton, Brooklyn. An announcement was made that Miss Harcourt would appear. After the bill proper ended, the audience sat through two moving pictures and seven minutes beyond before the English singer reached the theatre. Inadvertently a paragraph in the story relating to William Morris securing the Garden, Chicago, in last week's Variety read "There has been no vaudeville in Chicago since Klaw &, Erlanger occupied t\e Auditorium with their bills last sea- son." It should have read: "There has been no 'opposition 1 vaudeville, etc." The Majestic, Haymarket, Star and Olympic, the four Kohl & Castle vaudeville theatres in Chicago, have been playing continu- ously. The "Salome" ball held at the CJrand Central Palace got between $10,000 and $15,000 at the door. No one knows just how much excepting Morris Gest, who ran it to one of the largest crowds ever at any affair of this kind. Nine thousand dollars was spent over the bar. One hun- dred waiters were on the lookout for easy money. Mr. Gest is rumored to have had a partner or so in the venture, but the partnership is very much sub rosa, if not more so. Odette Velery remains at Hammer- stein's Manhattan Opera House until the opera season closes, when the dnneer will return to London. So far, William Ham- merstein, director of the vaudeville branch of the Hammerstcin enterprises, has not talked to his father about Odette for the Victoria. The debut of Princess Rahjah with a snake at Hammcrstein's, Monday, may effect the situation. "Miss Valery is some manipulator with a snake herself. This is what held her at the Coliseum, London, for threo months. She might have been there yet if the snake had not objected to the fops on the other side.